South Korean industry giants like Samsung and LG are scrambling to catch up as Chinese robot vacuum companies rapidly outpace their global competitors, leveraging advanced technology and aggressive research and development efforts to dominate the market.
At the IFA 2024 trade show in Berlin, Germany, China’s vacuum cleaner brand ‘Dreame’ showcased a new robot vacuum that easily climbed over 5cm-high door thresholds. Its rear wheels extended, lifting the front of the vacuum to help it clear the high obstacle. Traditionally, robot vacuums struggled with thick rugs or door thresholds, but this new model overcame that challenge.
Another Chinese brand, Roborock, the global leader in the robot vacuum market, also revealed a new product at IFA that can climb over 4cm-high thresholds. In comparison, the latest robot vacuums from Samsung and LG, two of South Korea’s major brands, can only handle heights up to 2cm.
Chinese brands have also developed advanced technologies such as automatic body lowering to fit under low furniture and dual cameras to avoid even thin charging cables. These innovations are helping Chinese robot vacuums dominate both domestic and international markets.
While premium home appliances like TVs, refrigerators, and washing machines are still led by companies from S. Korea and Europe, China is far ahead in robot vacuum technology. Industry experts suggest that this may signal a shift in the competitive landscape between S. Korean and Chinese companies in the global home appliance market.
China’s dominance in the robot vacuum industry stems from its relentless focus on research and development (R&D) and the fierce competition that has allowed only the best to survive.
Although Roborock entered the market more than 10 years after Samsung and LG, it now holds the top spot in the global robot vacuum market. Over half of Roborock’s 1,500 employees work in R&D, and the company invested about $86.9 million in technology development last year.
Ecovacs, the leading robot vacuum brand in China, also has 1,600 engineers dedicated to developing robot technologies. In comparison, Korean companies like Samsung and LG only have a few dozen people working on robot vacuum R&D.
Each year, Chinese companies release new models with game-changing features that solve customer frustrations.
For example, in 2021, Roborock introduced a feature that lifts the vacuum’s attached mop when it detects carpets, allowing the robot to switch seamlessly between mopping hard floors and vacuuming carpets. By 2022, the ‘all-in-one robot vacuum’ era had officially begun, with vacuums that not only vacuum and mop but also come with charging stations that automatically empty the dustbin, clean and dry the mop, and even manage clean and dirty water. These innovations allow users to operate their vacuums with almost no manual effort.
Also, one of the common weaknesses of robot vacuums, corner cleaning, was addressed last year when Dreame introduced a vacuum with robotic arms that extend to sweep and mop the corners.
Feeling the pressure from the rapid advancements of Chinese companies, Korean firms like Samsung and LG are responding by launching new products in an effort to reclaim their position in the market.
Samsung and LG are trying to regain market share in Korea by launching their own all-in-one robot vacuums this year. Both companies’ leaders acknowledged during IFA that they are behind Chinese firms in this area but are determined to catch up.
Samsung and LG are emphasizing their strengths in security, maintenance, and customer service, areas where Chinese brands have been relatively weaker. However, Chinese companies are improving quickly, partnering with local distributors for installation and after-sales services, and are even replacing cameras with other sensors to ease privacy concerns.
However, despite the efforts, industry experts warn that unless Korean companies can offer clear technological advantages or better performance for the price, they will continue to face tough competition from Chinese robot vacuums.
